The superb setting of the Nye family's hotel overlooking salt marshes to the sea and Scolt Head Island is matched by 'exceptional food and service', say readers who go back year after year.

Perennial popular, professionally run but relaxed, this former coaching inn with views to the Shropshire hills is an ideal base for walkers and a perfect stopover within sight of the Welsh border.

Family run, dog-friendly and beloved of readers, the Reynolds's small country-house hotel is praised for its comfort, service and ambitious cooking.

Guests find a warm welcome, good food and home comforts at John and Martini Sheedy's hotel and restaurant on the Wild Atlantic Way.

Overlooking the River Hodder in the Forest of Bowland, this sprawling 18th-century manor house is joyously traditional, with stone-flagged floors, open fires, bags of atmosphere and great food.

You'll find everything you need for a holiday at this family-run, child-friendly, dog-friendly hotel tucked away in a valley, with a path to a secluded sandy beach.

The River Rothay runs past the back garden of this small country-house hotel with attractive, individually styled bedrooms and good food.

You could not wish for a more glorious location than you find at Lorraine Hinkins and Alex Yorke's 18th-century farmhouse B&B, with views to Cader Idris and Tal-y-llyn lake.

In the vast, remote, elemental landscape of Assynt, this 19th-century coaching inn overlooking Loch Glendhu is today a dog-friendly modern hotel with simple, smart bedrooms, and magical vistas from the restaurant, where short menus showcase meat from local crofters and freshly landed seafood.

Perfect for a country weekend, this 17th-century thatched pub close to Newmarket has contemporary, rustic-chic bedrooms in a 'barn', beams, bar stools, banquettes and bare boards, superior pub grub, and a separate menu for your pooch.

Debra and Phil Wright's village pub-with-rooms on the Welsh borders 'puts to shame places that charge twice as much', writes a regular Guide reader.

It may not be a castle but this rambling 18th-century manor house, wrapped in gardens and with views over the otherworldly karst landscape of the Burren, has its own romantic charm, a fine-dining restaurant,, modern comforts and an ambience of calm.

Pigs have foraged in the New Forest since the Norman Conquest, but a different breed arrived in 2011, when Robin Hutson took on a Georgian hunting lodge and reinvented the English country-house hotel, with a shabby-chic style mixing designer wallpapers and boot-sale finds in characterful house rooms and hideaway suites. Seasonal menus feature produce from the bountiful kitchen garden.

An ideal base for walking and wildlife enthusiasts, this 18th-century inn with excellent pub food stands beside a Saxon church in a stunning village in Teesdale.

The superb setting of the Nye family's hotel overlooking salt marshes to the sea and Scolt Head Island is matched by 'exceptional food and service', say readers who go back year after year.

Family run, dog-friendly and beloved of readers, the Reynolds's small country-house hotel is praised for its comfort, service and ambitious cooking.

You could not wish for a more glorious location than you find at Lorraine Hinkins and Alex Yorke's 18th-century farmhouse B&B, with views to Cader Idris and Tal-y-llyn lake.

Readers are unanimous in their praise for James Moffett's Peak District Hotel, a 17th-centiry gem, a paradise for walkers, where the welcome is friendly, the hospitality generous and the cooking hearty.

Caroline and Jonathan Kaye are fun and welcoming hosts at their B&B, a Victorian gentleman's residence in walled garden, praised by many readers for its award-winning interiors, individually styled rooms and suites, delicious afternoon tea and great breakfasts.

Steep stairs lead to old-fashioned, characterful beamed bedrooms at this cosy family-run inn in a rural Dartmoor village, reached by narrow back roads, where walkers and cyclists can work up an appetite to dine from an eclectic menu that mixes classic pub grub with some impressive gastro dishes, served by friendly, efficient staff.

Walkers, kayakers and wildlife watchers are in their element at this dog-friendly, welcoming inn with views to the Isle of Bute, moorings for the waterborne, bedrooms supplied with home-baked shortbread and fresh coffee, and a dining room serving seasonal produce cooked with flair.

Many regard Borrowdale as the Lake District's most picturesque valley, and this comfortable Edwardian country house has one of its finest locations.

Perennial popular, professionally run but relaxed, this former coaching inn with views to the Shropshire hills is an ideal base for walkers and a perfect stopover within sight of the Welsh border.

Welcoming and unfussy, Charles and Edmund Inkin's dining pub is an 'effortlessly stylish' base from which to explore some of Cornwall's best scenery on the coastal path.

There is star quality indeed at Olga and Alex Polizzi's updated version of a historic Tudor inn, in a charming medieval South Downs village.

Old-fashioned and nurturing, the Wood family's hotel in flower-filled gardens on the edge of the moors inspires devotion among those who know it.

Readers return time and again to Gary and Donna MacRae's small, adults-only country-house hotel in woodland gardens, with immaculate bedrooms, fell views, and outstanding nightly set-price dinner, preceded by aperitifs and canapés in the lounge.

Guests find a warm welcome, good food and home comforts at John and Martini Sheedy's hotel and restaurant on the Wild Atlantic Way.

Down a tree-lined drive, amid meadows and mature garden, this romantic and secluded Georgian country house has cosseting bedrooms with a modern touch, suites in cottage annexes, two with a glass-box lounge, and both a fine-dining restaurant and a brasserie.

A walker's paradise on the Welsh border, the Hunter family's very dog-friendly hotel, in a Georgian former rectory with a 'beautiful garden and views', is much beloved by readers.

After a day browsing the galleries of this buzzy, arty town, you can escape the crowds to sit serenely sipping cocktails in the sub-tropical gardens at this peaceful small hotel which doesn't allow drop-ins or children under ten.

The superb setting of the Nye family's hotel overlooking salt marshes to the sea and Scolt Head Island is matched by 'exceptional food and service', say readers who go back year after year.

Readers consistently praise this owner-run B&B with immaculate and generously supplied rooms in a single-storey building, beautifully maintained gardens with stream and wildlife pond, and, by arrangement, dinner cooked by caring and attentive hosts.

Huddled below wooded hills, beside a stone bridge over the River Monnow, this whitewashed former 17th-century coaching inn serves delicious food and has great walks from the door to help you justify eating it.

At the heart of Wordsworth country, this Victorian Gothic mansion in 43 acres is home to a cool, super-luxury hotel, where chef Paul Leonard draws inspiration from the Lakeland landscape to compose Michelin-starred menus using produce from the walled kitchen garden and Cumbria's abundant larder.

Steep stairs lead to old-fashioned, characterful beamed bedrooms at this cosy family-run inn in a rural Dartmoor village, reached by narrow back roads, where walkers and cyclists can work up an appetite to dine from an eclectic menu that mixes classic pub grub with some impressive gastro dishes, served by friendly, efficient staff.

It's not quite the restaurant at the end of the universe, but there is a great sense of space at this cosy, dog-friendly hotel, in a wilderness landscape of lochs and lochans on the edge of Rannoch Moor, with simple bedrooms (no TV, no radio, no WiFi), and short but creative menus reflecting a passion for local produce.

Spectacular views over Esthwaite Water, walks from the door and easy connections by ferry to explore the Lakes makes this 'a recharging of the batteries kind of place', reports a trusted reader. Other readers add that the friendly service and excellent food helps to make it 'one of the very best hotels'.

Family run, dog-friendly and beloved of readers, the Reynolds's small country-house hotel is praised for its comfort, service and ambitious cooking.

The rustic-chic bedrooms in farmhouse, cider house and barn at this rural Wye valley retreat in the Forest of Dean are all excellent, but the cooking is a still-greater attraction.

Welcoming and unfussy, Charles and Edmund Inkin's dining pub is an 'effortlessly stylish' base from which to explore some of Cornwall's best scenery on the coastal path.

Readers are unanimous in their praise for James Moffett's Peak District Hotel, a 17th-centiry gem, a paradise for walkers, where the welcome is friendly, the hospitality generous and the cooking hearty.

You could not wish for a more glorious location than you find at Lorraine Hinkins and Alex Yorke's 18th-century farmhouse B&B, with views to Cader Idris and Tal-y-llyn lake.

Guests find a warm welcome, good food and home comforts at John and Martini Sheedy's hotel and restaurant on the Wild Atlantic Way.

New owners Annabel and Jamie Windsor-Medley have refreshed the simple but historic bedrooms at this unlikely pub, which occupies the original prior's quarters for a 12th-century Augustinian Priory, serving meals in the Cellar Bar, and making plans for dark-sky events and theatre in the grounds against the backdrop of evocative ruins and the Black Mountains.

With contemporary country-house comforts, a wide choice of bedrooms, glorious views , and modern Scottish cooking in a light-filled dining room, Struan and Louise Lothian's well-cared-for hotel is a lovely place to relax, and a great base for walkers and cyclists wishing to explore the Perthshire countryside.

Many regard Borrowdale as the Lake District's most picturesque valley, and this comfortable Edwardian country house has one of its finest locations.

Hrishikesh Desai's innovative, Michelin-starred cooking is just one of the attractions at this luxury country-house hotel in beautifully maintained gardens deep in the Cumbrian countryside.

Between gently rolling hills and the ocean, this former coastguard's HQ has intensely characterful bedrooms, sublime views over Bunatrahir Bay, and a restaurant serving simple dishes of locally farmed and fished produce.

Spectacular views over Esthwaite Water, walks from the door and easy connections by ferry to explore the Lakes makes this 'a recharging of the batteries kind of place', reports a trusted reader. Other readers add that the friendly service and excellent food helps to make it 'one of the very best hotels'.

The rustic-chic bedrooms in farmhouse, cider house and barn at this rural Wye valley retreat in the Forest of Dean are all excellent, but the cooking is a still-greater attraction.

Welcoming and unfussy, Charles and Edmund Inkin's dining pub is an 'effortlessly stylish' base from which to explore some of Cornwall's best scenery on the coastal path.

Guide readers are unswervingly loyal to this family-friendly country house by the sea, with peerless views to Snowdonia across Cardigan Bay, run by the Fletcher-Brewer family since opening in 1948.

Readers return time and again to Gary and Donna MacRae's small, adults-only country-house hotel in woodland gardens, with immaculate bedrooms, fell views, and outstanding nightly set-price dinner, preceded by aperitifs and canapés in the lounge.

Overlooking the River Hodder in the Forest of Bowland, this sprawling 18th-century manor house is joyously traditional, with stone-flagged floors, open fires, bags of atmosphere and great food.

It's not quite the restaurant at the end of the universe, but there is a great sense of space at this cosy, dog-friendly hotel, in a wilderness landscape of lochs and lochans on the edge of Rannoch Moor, with simple bedrooms (no TV, no radio, no WiFi), and short but creative menus reflecting a passion for local produce.

A long, winding drive leads to Henry and Lucy Hodgson's country house on an estate on Lough Corrib, with its lakeside sauna, old-fashioned interiors, warm hospitality, and great home-cooked food.

A walker's paradise on the Welsh border, the Hunter family's very dog-friendly hotel, in a Georgian former rectory with a 'beautiful garden and views', is much beloved by readers.

Tucked between the Brecon Beacons and the Black Mountains, this red brick inn glows with a warm welcome and down-to-earth charm that attracts walkers, dogs, families and couples.

The rustic-chic bedrooms in farmhouse, cider house and barn at this rural Wye valley retreat in the Forest of Dean are all excellent, but the cooking is a still-greater attraction.

Just four minutes by train from arty downtown St Ives, this adults-only 1930s hotel is a serene refuge from the bustle, with views over the clear waters of St Ives Bay.

Readers are unanimous in their praise for James Moffett's Peak District Hotel, a 17th-centiry gem, a paradise for walkers, where the welcome is friendly, the hospitality generous and the cooking hearty.

It's not quite the restaurant at the end of the universe, but there is a great sense of space at this cosy, dog-friendly hotel, in a wilderness landscape of lochs and lochans on the edge of Rannoch Moor, with simple bedrooms (no TV, no radio, no WiFi), and short but creative menus reflecting a passion for local produce.

With walks from the doorstep, views of Peak District hills, a peaceful garden, breakfast feasts and restful bedrooms, it's no surprise that Underleigh wins so much praise.

With views over meadows and marshes to the sea, this boutique hotel within a former Victorian farmhouse offers contemporary-style bedrooms in colours inspired by the landscape, some with private terrace and hot tub, and serves modern cooking in the bistro and conservatory.